On April 4, 2012 at Hilton Hotel - Hanoi, the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Institute of Nutrition held a conference to announce "Results of the 2010 National Nutrition Survey and the National Nutrition Strategy for the period 2011-2020".

Below are the main results of the Survey and the introduction of the National Nutrition Strategy for the period 2011-2020:

1. In 2010, the rate of malnutrition (SDD) among children in our country was 17.5% (weight/age indicator), of which moderate malnutrition (level I) was 15.4%, severe malnutrition (level II) was 1.8% and very severe malnutrition (level III) was 0.3%. 20/63 provinces and cities had a child malnutrition rate of over 20% (high according to the classification of the World Health Organization).

The rate of children with stunting according to height/age (stunting) in 2010   nationwide was 29.3%, of which according to the classification of the World Health Organization, there were 31 provinces with a rate above 30% (high level), 2 provinces with a rate above 40% (very high level). The average reduction in stunting in the past 15 years (1995-2010) was 1.3%/year. The rate of wasting (weight/height) was 7.1%.

It is estimated that by 2010, our country will have nearly 1.3 million underweight children under 5 years old, about 2.1 million stunted children and about 520 thousand wasted children. The distribution of malnutrition is uneven in different ecological regions.

The rate of overweight and obesity in children under 5 years old is 5.6% (6.5% in urban areas and 4.2% in rural areas). This rate is increasing. Compared to 2000, the rate of overweight and obesity in children under 5 years old is now 6 times higher.

2. The rate of nutritional anemia in children under 5 years old is 29.2%, in pregnant women it is 36.5%% and in women of childbearing age in general it is 28.8% - (2008 survey).

Vitamin A deficiency in our country is mainly subclinical with a high rate (14.2% in children and about 35% in adults).% in breastfeeding mothers) (2008 Survey).

The coverage rate of vitamin A capsules in the group of children who received oral doses was 79.5%. The rate of mothers who received vitamin A after giving birth was 51.4%.

3. The average height achieved by Vietnamese youth in the 22-26 age group for both men and women, with the average height achieved for men being 1.64 m (equivalent to 5 ft 5 in), and for women being 1.54 m (equivalent to 5 ft 1  1 ⁄ 2  in).

4. Daily food rations in households show significant changes compared to the past. The energy level of the diet from 1985 to present has not changed significantly (in 1981, consumption was 1925 ± 230 kcal, in 2010, consumption was 1925.4 ± 587 kcal) but the energy structure in the diet has changed. In 1985, energy from glucid, protein and fat sources was in the order G: P: L= 82.6: 11.2: 6.2, while now (in 2010) G: P: L= 66.3: 15.9: 17.8.

The increased amount of Protid and Lipid in the diet makes the current diet more balanced. The daily food intake is more diverse than the monotonous meals of the past. There are significant differences in the diet structure of people in different ecological regions and between rural and urban areas.

The average energy level of children's diet for 2-5 year olds meets 97% of the recommended needs of the Institute of Nutrition. The total protein content is 49 g/day, accounting for 17% of the energy of the diet, meeting the recommended needs of the Institute of Nutrition.

Regarding micronutrients from the diet, it should be noted that the iron requirement of children 24-35 months old is only 56% of the RDA.

5. The proportion of women of childbearing age (18-49 years old) with a body mass index (BMI) < 18.5 is 18.0%. Meanwhile, 8.2% of women of childbearing age with  a BMI ≥ 25 are overweight and obese.

6. Regarding knowledge of food hygiene, nationwide, 82.1% of consumers have seen/heard/propagandized food hygiene knowledge, this rate is equivalent in the Red River Delta, Central Highlands and Central Highlands, Central Highlands and Southeast, but is lowest in the two regions of the Midlands and Northern Highlands and the Mekong River Delta (75.1% and 75.6% respectively). The rate of people understanding the manifestations of food poisoning is also quite high, averaging 69.7% and 73.6% for the two typical symptoms of food poisoning.

7. On February 22, 2012, the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam signed Decision No. 226/QD-TTg approving the National Strategy on Nutrition for the period 2011-2020 and vision to 2030 - the Strategy affirms that the task of improving nutrition is the responsibility of all sectors, levels and all people. It is necessary to strive to ensure balanced and reasonable nutrition as an important factor towards comprehensive development of stature, physical and intellectual health of Vietnamese people and improving the quality of life.

• First : TContinue to improve the quantity and quality of people's meals.
• Second: Improvethe nutritional status of mothers and children.
• Tuesday:Improve micronutrient status .
• Fourth: Graduallyand effectively control overweight and obesity and risk factors of some chronic non-communicable diseases related to adult nutrition.
• Thursday: Improve understanding and promote proper nutrition practices and ultimately
• Sixth: Improve the capacity and operational efficiency of the nutrition network in the community and health facilities.

Download link:

Full text: Decision of the Prime Minister on approving the national nutrition strategy for the 2011-2020 period and vision to 2030

Full text: National nutrition strategy for the 2011-2020 period and vision to 2030

Full text:Main results of the 2010 National Nutrition Survey and the 2011-2020 National Nutrition Strategy